April and May 2026 pack in a strong mix of planetary action, two meteor shower peaks, and a rare tight planetary conjunction — all before the year's biggest event, the August 12 total solar eclipse. Here's everything worth clearing your schedule for, with regional visibility notes for each.
April's full moon rises at sunset and sets at sunrise, riding high in the sky. Known as the Pink Moon — not for its colour, but after the wild ground phlox that blooms in early spring in North America. A bright full moon washes out faint deep-sky targets, so use the nights around April 2 for bright showpieces: the Moon itself, planets, and lunar craters are spectacular through a telescope.
Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation of 27.8° from the Sun — the best position of 2026 for morning observers. Look east in the hour before sunrise. Mercury will be highest above the horizon around this date, rising well before the Sun. It shines at approximately magnitude –0.1, making it easily visible to the naked eye as a bright "star" low in the pre-dawn sky.
Best viewing: Face east 45–60 minutes before local sunrise. Mercury is notoriously hard to spot — binoculars help significantly. The planet will be in Pisces/Aries and should stand out clearly once you know where to look.
This is the standout event of April. Mercury, Mars, and Saturn converge in a tight grouping in the pre-dawn eastern sky, with Neptune nearby for those with binoculars or a small scope. Two especially close pairings unfold on consecutive mornings:
April 19 — Mars & Saturn conjunction: The two planets pass within 3°21' of each other — close enough to share the same binocular field of view. Mars glows reddish at magnitude 1.2, Saturn a steadier yellow-white at magnitude 0.9.
April 20 — Mercury & Saturn conjunction: An even tighter pairing — Mercury passes just 0°27' from Saturn. That's less than the width of the full Moon. Both planets will be visible to the naked eye and are a stunning pair through binoculars or a widefield telescope. Look east about 45 minutes before sunrise.
This is a perfect opportunity for a widefield photo. Set up a camera on a tripod before dawn and frame the eastern horizon. A 35–50mm lens works well. A smart telescope like the Seestar S30 Pro's wide-field mode can capture all three planets in a single frame and will track them automatically.
The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers (observed for over 2,700 years) and reliably produce 15–20 meteors per hour at peak, with occasional bright fireballs. In 2026, conditions are favourable — the Moon is a waxing crescent and sets well before peak activity in the early morning hours, leaving dark skies for the best part of the show.
The radiant rises in the northeast after 10 PM and is highest around 4–5 AM. Meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in Lyra. No equipment needed — just lie back on a reclining chair and scan the whole sky.
The 94%-illuminated Moon passes directly in front of Antares — the bright red supergiant heart of Scorpius — occulting it from view for observers in a specific band. A lunar occultation of a bright star is an unforgettable sight: through a telescope you can watch the star blink out almost instantly as the Moon's limb crosses it, then reappear on the other side minutes later.
The occultation is visible from Antarctica, Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia. From elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere and southern parts of North America, the Moon and Antares pass very close together (within 0°26') — a striking naked-eye conjunction even without the occultation.
The Eta Aquariids are debris from Halley's Comet — one of the most prolific meteor showers of the year for Southern Hemisphere observers. At peak, the Southern Hemisphere can see 50–60 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. Northern Hemisphere observers are limited to around 10–30 per hour since the radiant stays low above the horizon.
Unfortunately, 2026 conditions are challenging. The Moon will be approximately 82% illuminated (waning gibbous) and rises around 1 AM, flooding the pre-dawn sky with light during the best viewing window. You'll still see the brightest meteors — fast, long-trailed Halley meteors are hard to miss — but faint ones will be washed out. The shower is active from late April to late May, so try the nights around May 3–4 when the Moon rises later.
The radiant rises in the east about 3–4 hours before sunrise. Try observing between 2–3 AM before moonrise, then again in the twilight before dawn when your eyes are dark-adapted. Face east and look about 45° away from the radiant for the best long-trailed meteors.
Jupiter remains a dominant presence in the evening sky through spring 2026, shining brilliantly in Gemini at around magnitude –2.1. It's well-placed for observation in the early evening, setting a few hours after midnight. Through any telescope — including smart scopes — you'll clearly see the four Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) and the main cloud bands. Jupiter is one of the best targets for any skill level and any equipment.
May 2026 has two full moons — the first on May 1, and the second on May 31. The second full moon in a calendar month is traditionally called a "Blue Moon" (it won't actually appear blue unless there's smoke or ash in the atmosphere). Blue Moons occur roughly every 2–3 years. While it's a cultural curiosity rather than an astronomical event, it's a great excuse to photograph the full moon rising over your local landscape.
The August 12, 2026 total solar eclipse is already generating huge excitement. Totality sweeps across Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain — the first total eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999. Maximum totality lasts 2 minutes 18 seconds. Partial phases will be visible across much of Western Europe and the northeastern United States. Travel packages to the path of totality are already selling out.
The path of totality crosses northern Spain (with Palma de Mallorca and Valencia seeing impressive totality), Iceland, and southern Greenland. If you're in Western Europe, now is the time to book accommodation along the path — or start planning a dedicated eclipse trip.
April and May are the heart of galaxy season. The Virgo Galaxy Cluster dominates the southern sky, placing dozens of galaxies within a single binocular field. Highlights include:
Virgo Cluster — M87 (with its famous black hole jet), M84, M86, M89, and the whole Markarian's Chain of galaxies stretching across several degrees. Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) — the classic interacting galaxy pair in Canes Venatici, perfectly placed high in the sky. Sombrero Galaxy (M104) — a stunning edge-on galaxy with a dramatic dust lane, high in Virgo. Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) — three galaxies in a single field, a favourite widefield target.
Event data sourced from EarthSky, Space.com, NASA, and the American Meteor Society. Times given are approximate — check your local planetarium app for precise times at your location.